MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shabazz Napier said UConn is back where it belongs. He clearly meant that in the general sense.

Excepting those in charge of the conference realignment merry-go-round, most everybody agrees that UConn belongs in the Big East, pllaying this week at Madison Square Garden, enjoying a good, old-fashioned round of Big East roughhousing. Venturing to southwestern Tennessee to play a conference tournament was not in the specifics.

The final Big East Tournament was played without UConn, a postseason ban keeping the Huskies in Storrs. The first American Athletic Conference has begun at FedExForum, with the Huskies back in the postseason. The postseason is exactly where Napier thinks the 21st-ranked Huskies belong.

"It feels good," said Napier, who was named AAC Player of the Year on Wednesday. "It feels like this is where we're meant to be. It feels like we have a great opportunity and we have to make the best of it."

The Huskies (24-7), seeded fourth, begin play in the tournament tonight against the fifth seed, No. 19 Memphis (23-8). Somebody had to do it, but it's the Huskies who get the privilege of playing the Tigers on their home court.

UConn had the opportunity to work out of that spot Saturday at Louisville, but didn't take advantage. In fact, the Huskies barely showed up. They were run out of the KFC Yum! Center by 33 points, suffering the program's worst loss in 22 years.

Fortunately for them, it's time to start over.

"It's the fourth quarter now; it's our fourth season," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "There was preseason, nonconference and the regular season. Now everybody is 0-0, and let's just go out there and play."

The postseason is hardly new for UConn, but this one begins in a completely different manner than most. It begins with a league tournament in a foreign land in a conference that is somewhat unstable. Next year, this tournament will look different again, with two teams departing (Rutgers and Louisville) and three teams arriving (Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina).

See UCONN, Page 9B

It also begins against the home team, a team guaranteed a night game by the conference. Memphis' earning the fifth seed meant the league had to flip the bracket to make for more equitable play. So the Huskies, who have experienced a near offensive blackout of late, have to beat the Tigers for a third time on their home floor.

UConn beat Memphis at FedExForum on Jan. 16. The Tigers have since won nine straight home games, including victories against Louisville and SMU in their most recent home games. The Huskies are 0-4 against Louisville and SMU.

"To get where you want to go — in basketball and life — you have to face giants," Napier said. "This is one of those giants we have to face. They're going to have a crazy crowd, like always. Great coach. Great guards. It's the biggest giant we have to face this year, and we have to fight it.

"When you fight a giant and win, you feel so much better. We all want that feeling."

Hyperbole aside, the point is taken. UConn has won four of its last six games, but has struggled offensively in doing so. Coincidentally, it began right after the Huskies beat Memphis in overtime at the XL Center.

The Huskies are averaging fewer than 59 points in the last six games. Napier, Boatright and Lasan Kromah have not shot well of late, which only shines a bigger spotlight on the interior offensive issues. The defense has been spotty. DeAndre Daniels had been a nonfactor until scoring 17 against Louisville on Saturday, and the Huskies have generally not been playing well.

New season, new start?

"The way I explained it to (teammates), when you're growing up on the playground, five-on-five, 20 people waiting, if you lose that game, you're not getting back on the court unless you get picked," Napier said. "Think about that. You want to stay on the court as long as you possibly can.

"If you lose one game, you stay home and watch on TV. Nobody wants that feeling."

What: AAC quarterfinal

When: Approximately 9:30 p.m.

Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn.

TV, Radio: ESPNU, WTIC-AM (1080)

Records: No. 21 UConn 24-7; No. 19 Memphis 23-8

Series: UConn leads, 2-1, sweeping the regular-season series this year.

Worth noting: The tournament is technically a neutral-site event, but the Tigers will be playing on their home court. They have won nine straight at home since losing to UConn on Jan. 16. The last two victories came against Louisville and SMU, two teams the Huskies failed to beat ... The winner moves on to Friday's semifinals to most likely face top seed Cincinnati. The Bearcats will take on the winner of Thursday night's late game between Temple and Central Florida ... UConn was 36-26 in 33 appearances in the Big East Tournament ... The Huskies are 4-3 against ranked opponents this year, including the two victories against the Tigers ... UConn guard Shabazz Napier needs six points to move past Ben Gordon and into sixth on UConn's career scoring list. He needs 21 points to overtake Corny Thompson for fifth ... Napier also needs nine assists to pass Kevin Ollie and move into third on the program's career assist list ... The Huskies are 80-40 all-time against teams in the tournament field. Fifty-one of those games have been played against Rutgers, which is leaving for the Big Ten after this season ... The Huskies have lost five of their last seven conference tournament openers. However, they have won seven of their last eight tournament games: 2-1 in 2012 and 5-0 in 2011 ... Napier is the only Husky who has ever started a conference tournament game ... Since 2004-05, Memphis has 177 home victories, the most of any team in the country ... Both coaches have national title rings. Kevin Ollie earned his as a UConn assistant coach in 2011 and Josh Pastner his as a player at Arizona in 1997 ... Memphis is playing in an inaugural conference tournament for the fifth time. The Tigers have also played in the Mississippi Valley Conference, Metro Conference, Great Midwest Conference and Conference USA.

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